Citing Fairness, Black Clergy Support Cassandra Jackson for City Attorney

On Tuesday, a number of black religious leaders met at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church to show their support for Deputy City Attorney Cassandra Jackson as the next City Attorney.

The city commission previously voted 3-2 at a special meeting not to hire Jackson for the job following concerns raised by commissioners. These concerns included a lack of qualified candidates and a desire to hire outside of City Hall for a fresh perspective.

Church leaders said the city commission should reconsider their decision and hire Jackson.

“We can’t penalize her because certain people did not apply. Nine people applied and she won it. And it’s not about race or gender. It’s about this person, attorney Jackson, being highly qualified for this position,” said Rev. R. B. Holmes.

Rev. Julius McAllister of Bethel A.M.E Church said this “is not a black or white issue but about the commonality within our humanity that makes us the same.”

14 Responses to "Citing Fairness, Black Clergy Support Cassandra Jackson for City Attorney"

Curtis January 30, 2018 at 9:33 pm

IMHO the issue is not whether Ms. Jackson is qualified but whether the commission should select a city attorney from within the city or from outside the city. Bringing someone in from outside the city enables the city to bring new perspective and insight. Promoting from within tends to perpetuate existing organizational culture. The question commissioners face, and rightfully so IMHO, is whether the city needs a fresh perspective in the City Attorney’s office, just as, I hope, they make the same effort with the City Manager’s and City Auditor’s positions.

This is a last ditch scramble to try and keep the crony of Anita Favor Thompson, Cynthia Barber, Gillum and company tied into the legal control of City Hall. COT Legal is the air traffic control for all issues. This was part of the successional plan emplaced before Anita left.

Two points of interest:

1) Find out who and how many ministers are in City Employment and you will see how/why this was movement was organized; find out their role in this political movement.

2) look into NFBPA – National Forum for Black Public Administrators and you will see on the City checkbook funding for membership, travel, conferences, per diem with full COT wages paid for this non profit which is paid for and run by the City of Tallahassee. Cynthia Barber, the administrator over Police, Fire, Emergency Response – the President of the Talllahassee Chapter. Anita Favor Thompson a previous National President of NFBPA. Ms, Jackson’s picture is featured in supporting an NFBPA event. A majority of the 25 or so listed NFBPA MEMBERS are all COT employees.

COT – how much tax payer’s funds have been contributed to this NFBPA NON-PROFIT?

Ms. Jackson has become “collateral damaged” poison by cloud of an ongoing FBI investigations and other shenanigans involving taxpayers funds. Forwarded thinking should be packaging her qualifications/skill sets head into private sector and ride the wave of an upward bound soaring economy. If the current environment was different, perhaps she would have been anointed, however, Sloppy Tricky Ricky demised threw all that under the bus. Going forward, new talent to fill those critical vacancies and most importantly – VOTE all INCUMBENTS OUT! Send a message – No More of the SAME! o

Ms. Jackson would probably be an excellent city attorney. There has been no evidence presented that she is not qualified or that she does not have the requisite experience. To the contrary, she seems to be both qualified and experienced.

However, the only problem with her otherwise strong resume is her connection to her prior employer, the COT city attorney. Rightly or wrongly, former city attorney, Lou Shelley, is associated with the status quo and therefore many consider Ms. Jackson to be tainted by association.

Unfortunately for Ms. Jackson, this singular perceived resume flaw, not her race as implied by the African-American clergy, may doom her candidacy for city attorney. It defies logic to imply that race is at the heart of the public’s desire for a complete reset of all city commission leadership. As the clergy well knows, with a former African-American city manager and a African-American mayor, it is disingenuous to imply that hiring decisions are now being determined by racial considerations.

It should be clear to any objective observer that a strong desire for a break with the status quo is at the heart of the public’s desire to select a new city attorney from the outside, not racial discrimination. Does anyone seriously believe that had her application come forward just few years earlier, her selection would not have been overwhelmingly approved?

Is she an AKA? I bet she’s an AKA. The black clergy quote saying it’s not about race or gender is laughable. Let’s be honest here. If the person was a white male with the same qualifications, this same black clergy would be speaking out for him? Come on, man.

Fairness or race has nothing to do with the “need” for Tallahasse to have a fresh start and break any ties…real or imagined to the current cabal. All new hires for top managers and the election of all local officials should have that fresh start as well…to give the citizens of Tallahassee a chance to trust their local government again.

We really need to look at the planning dept also. The Myers Park housing and parking garage, the Spring Hill Rd gateway plan, and the new interchange for Welaunee at I-10 are all questionable. Blueprint is not the designated transportation planning agency; it is the TPO, also known as the Capital Regional Planning Agency (CRTPA) which you never have heard of. Blueprint was created so the City could do an end around on the federally and state approved planning process.

And what’s the deal with the self-righteous black ministers pressuring the city commissars into appointing her? One of them reportedly said at the meeting Wednesday as he faced them, “There’s a whole lot of stink up on this dais.”
Surely the minister has read Matthew 7 verse 1: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

The citizens want new blood at city hall, not the same old staff that led the city into high crime rates, ethics charges, misuse of their office and a FBI corruption investigation. Where was the city’s lawyer then? The lady lawyer was part of that failure. Did the black ministers consider that?

Whoa, everybody, the next city attorney should be he best lawyer we can find from a real pool of applicants, based on a fair vacancy notice and position qualifications. The interim city attorney may get the job, if she does, it will be because she is the best we can find, not because she inherited it, or because she’s black or because she’s a female. The citizens of Tallahassee deserve no less.

The group of black
Clergymen are in no position to determine who is or is
Not qualified to be the city
attorney! We can be sure they would not be speaking in Ms,
Jackson’s I’d she was not one
If their own!